With Amazon’s directive for employees to resume the work from office and an added relocation mandate, numerous workers have allegedly decided to resign instead of moving to different primary work centres.
CNBC reports that following the guidelines of the e-commerce behemoth, remote employees are anticipated to integrate into a central Amazon hub by the first half of 2024.
The report read, “Those who are unwilling or unable to comply are being forced to find work elsewhere, and some are choosing to quit.”
A spokesperson from the company verified the relocation policy, indicating that it impacts only a minor portion of the company’s employees.
In a statement, Amazon spokesperson said, “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, so we decided that the best thing to do was to communicate directly with teams and individuals who are affected to ensure they’re getting accurate information that’s relevant to them. If an individual feels like they don’t have the information they need, we encourage them to talk with their HR business partner or their manager.”
Amazon is requesting employees who are impacted by the relocation policy to transition to a specified hub, which might include options such as Seattle, Arlington, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, or another primary office location.
“Some employees see it as a stark reversal from the company’s approach during the pandemic,” the report further stated.
According to the report, in certain instances, employees are being requested to relocate to different states. This change would entail them ending their housing lease agreements or shifting their children to new schools.
Hundreds of Amazon employees orchestrated a walkout on May 31 at the company’s Seattle headquarters. The demonstration was driven by concerns regarding the company’s return-to-work policy and its perceived insufficiency in making progress on climate change initiatives.
GeekWire reports that the walkout staged by corporate and tech employees at Amazon HQ on Wednesday evening might have appeared to involve a substantial number of participants, potentially reaching several thousand.
Commencing from May 1st, Amazon implemented a compulsory return-to-office policy, stipulating that employees must be present in offices for a minimum of three days per week. Additionally, the e-commerce behemoth has undertaken two rounds of job cuts, resulting in the dismissal of 27,000 employees across these announcements.
Nevertheless, the prospect of returning to work did not sit well with numerous corporate and tech employees. It’s worth noting that the e-commerce titan maintains a workforce of over 65,000 corporate personnel in the Seattle area.